User blog:Stardust81/Argenticum (my entry for the animal contest)
This is my (Stardust81's) entry for the animal contest. Overview These animals are called argenticums. It's in the title (singular: argenticum; plural: argenticums) 'Argent' is from the Latin root for silver, and 'cum' is from the Latin root for song. Argenticums are mammals. In groups, they are called a prowl. They usually live twenty to thirty years in the wild. In captivity, the oldest recorded argenticum lived to forty years old. They live in taiga forests and are carnivores, usually preying on small rodents or birds. When they are pleased or calm, they can emit a low, pleased purr. However, they can also growl or yowl, and can sometimes produce a hoarse roar. Appearance General The argenticum is built like a lynx, but much slimmer and smaller. They are built for speed and grace for navigating through the northern forests of their homeland. What they lack in muscles, they make up in swiftness. Their coats are very long and thick, and they have retractable claws on their four-toed feet. Their ears are tufted, and they have long, slim tails tipped with black. Male Male argenticums are usually slightly taller than females, standing around two feet tall. Their overcoats are a striking silver, which contributes to their name. This is to blend in with the snow on the ground in their natural habitat. Their fur is dotted with dark gray spots, ranging in size. Their underbellies are a pale gray. They have blue or dark brown eyes. Female Female argenticums stand about one and three-quarters feet tall. They have dull gray overcoats and dark silver undercoats, dotted with black spots. They usually have amber eyes, but a rarer variant is silver eyes. Their main distinguishing feature from the males are their feet, which have black socks that reach to their knees on them. Juvenile Juvenile argenticums usually look the same as their adult counterparts with the corresponding gender, except for the fact that they have not developed their black spots yet. They are also usually smaller, about one and a half foot tall. Temperament Argenticums lead very unique lifestyles. During the day, they hunt and travel alone. However, they usually stick to a twenty-mile radius, always returning to a specific point at night where other argenticums meet. They sleep in this camp together, and these groups are called prowls. Prowls are usually composed of several argenticum families. Argenticums usually form strong familial bonds with their immediate relatives in a prowl, and mate with others outside their immediate family. These felines are elusive, enigmatic creatures. Rarely spotted and difficult to track, argenticums are masters of secrecy. The only proof they exist is the occasional sighting of a lone argenticum, or seeing them settle down for the night with their prowl in a moonlit clearing. Argenticums are fiercely loyal to those in their prowl, and to nobody else. If they encounter another argenticum on their daytime travels, they will usually spring into battle, and only give up when only one is left standing. They are fierce, persistent hunters, and are usually skilled at stalking and pouncing. Prowls almost always cooperate as one team. However, different prowls are highly aggressive towards one another, and have been known to attack each other on sight. When argenticums are with their prowl, they are playful and friendly. Older ones have been noted to be teaching younger ones how to hunt or fight, and they are always caring and loyal to their prowl. Abilities Argenticums do have a few unique abilities: *With graceful, willowy builds, argenticums are quick and nimble. However, they don't have much muscular strength, and rely on their speed and wits to get them through battles. *Argenticums can emit an extremely low sound called a hum; the frequency is too low to be heard by most other animals. When this sound is heard, other members of the prowl will race to the distressed cat's aid. Category:Blog posts